ISLAMABAD – In a historic milestone for Pakistan’s scientific community, Abdul Raffay Paracha of Siddique Public School clinched the country’s first-ever Gold Medal at the 35th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2024) held in the Philippines from July 20 to 27.
The Pakistani delegation, sponsored by the STEM Careers Programme (a collaboration between HEC and PIEAS), was mentored by Dr. Asma Imran and Dr. Asma Rehman from the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE). Alongside Raffay’s gold, Ms. Ayyan Aslam (GCU Lahore) earned an Honorable Mention, while Sadia Zulfiqar (Rawalpindi) and Arooj Fatima (Narowal) also represented Pakistan with distinction.
Pakistan’s participation in global science Olympiads has been steadily growing since 2001, with 380 students representing the nation and securing 140 medals to date. The National Science Talent Contest (NSTC), organized by PIEAS under PAEC, has been instrumental in nurturing young talent through nationwide training camps, benefiting over 4,500 students since its inception.
This landmark achievement underscores Pakistan’s rising potential in STEM education and sets a new benchmark for future generations of scientists.